The Mistake of Caring
by Shoujo's Revenge
Summary: Seto's struggle with sleeping pills. Ritsuko's struggle with her independent life. She made the mistake of caring about Kaiba's problem and was fired. The two clashes by a twist of fate and somehow faces troubles...together. KaibaxOC
1. Emancipation

Title: (Little Girl) in the Big World

Author: Phoenix Kaen

Summary: Seto's struggle with sleeping pills. Ritsuko's struggle with her independent life. She made the mistake of caring about Kaiba's problem and was fired. The two clashes by a twist of fate and somehow faces troubles...together. KaibaxOC

Alternate Summary: Romance is strictly forbidden in the office place. Ritsuko respects that rule but Kaiba can break his own rules if he wants to. The trouble is that she's not willing to since all she really wants to do is work and make her living.

Disclaimer: Kazuki Takahashi owns the Yu-Gi-Oh series.

Chapter 1: Emancipation

_italic-_a character's thoughts

_italic with occasional "quote" are memories_

"'The most sought after bachelor?'" Ritsuko asked, reading the title of an article in a magazine. Jennifer Ohyama, the woman who sat next to her, looked over the blonde's shoulders.

"Oh, yeah," she said, sipping her coffee. "That is pretty much true. My own daughter would do just about anything to be his girlfriend." Ritsuko blinked with a blank look.

"You have a daughter? How come I don't know that?" She said, hiding the lower half of her face behind the magazine.

Jennifer sweatdropped. "I always talk about her." The teenage girl continued to look perplexed.

"You do?"

"One of these days you have to listen to what I say," Jennifer said. Ritsuko also took a sip of her plain black coffee. Contrary to many people, she never did like sweet things. Her green eyes speed-read the article about her boss. The article mostly concentrated on how handsome, how rich and less of how successful he is. She could only deduce that a fangirl wrote this article.

"I don't get it." Ritsuko finally put down the magazine. "Why does everybody make such a big deal about him? If half his fanclub worked for him, they wouldn't be swooning over him. Don't misunderstand me though, I do respect him."

"Heheh Ritsuko-chan, you've never had a crush on anybody, have you? Sometimes people do wonder if you're a lesbian. Me? I just think you're a late bloomer." Jennifer said, smiling. Ritsuko blushed.

"I am not! I have my monthly menstrual cycle, you know. I might not be as big as you either but they're still growing!" Ritsuko fumed. Jennifer calmed her down.

"I don't mean it like that. I just meant one day you'll be attracted to a guy. When that day comes, you know you've matured a little. It's a bit strange though. You and Mr. Kaiba are pretty much alike. Maybe your first crush will be him," Jennifer said. She reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. In his office, Seto Kaiba sneezed. Was someone talking about him?

"Jenny-chan," she said. Even though Jennifer was older than Ritsuko, the latter was welcome to address her as though they were best friends. "Hmm?" Jennifer answered.

"My onee-san and my mom said something like that once. My dad is anxious for me to have a boyfriend. I don't understand the big deal. I think I'm capable to take care of myself."

"Your father, I've met him before. Remember when you had that birthday party? You invited me to it. I've talked to your father. He talks a lot about you, how worried he is about you but also of how proud he is of you. I think he wants you to have a man that'll take care of you. In my opinion, while you're very intelligent, you're also lonely," she reflected. _I noticed your party didn't have any teenagers. Rit-chan, you don't have any friends your age, do you? I wonder when you were excelling in school, did you ever cry alone in your room? _

Ritsuko smiled and laughed. "What are you talking about? I can't be lonely when I have people that care for me. I have parents that still fuss over me, a big sister that watches over me and everybody else here. Most of you are friendly and treat me like an equal. I can't ask for more." Her eyes had a faraway look.

Jennifer, however, didn't smile. From the time that she laid eyes on the young girl, she sensed a vulnerable aura from her. She had met her when Ritsuko had wandered into the KaibaCorp building, soaking wet. It had been raining that night. Jennifer thought this girl shouldn't be out this late. Taking pity on her, she took the confused looking girl to her cubicle to dry off. She drove her back home to Ritsuko's grateful family. That was about a year ago. She never thought she'd see the girl again. Then one day (earlier this year), when she returned from her lunch break, she saw the same girl in a beige pant suit. She had neither job experience nor any high school or college education. Besides the CEO, she was the youngest person there. The woman thought she was a fool for trying. To her great surprise, Ritsuko was hired. She started immediately the next day. From then on, the older woman decided to watch over this girl. The other employees seemed to like her, especially for her sense of humor. They became her friends. There still seemed to be a distance between Ritsuko and her co-workers. It was the same with her family members.

"You walk alone in the dark," the brunette woman whispered. Ritsuko asked her what she said. "It's nothing important."

"Hmm..." Ritsuko picked up the magazine and looked through the article again. "It says here that our boss' birthday is October 25th. That's tomorrow."

"Yeah, but if you say anything about it, he'd probably reprimand you for caring about that instead of work. Hey, isn't your birthday next month, also on the 25th? What do you want for your birthday?" Jennifer leaned on the back of her hand. Ritsuko absentmindedly flipped through one of her older friend's shopping catalogs.

"You don't have to get me a gift. You should care more about what your husband and daughter want for their birthdays," she said, seeming interested in something in the catalog. Her friend snatched it away from her.

"Let's see what you're gawking at." There was a picture of a silver charm bracelet with a heart charm hanging off it. "You want a charm bracelet? It's not that expensive...Okay, that's what I'm gonna get you this year!" Jennifer announced. Ritsuko was already walking away dispiritedly from Jennifer's desk.

"Hey, Rit-chan! How you doing today?" The guy that gives everybody their mail said cheerfully to Ritsuko. The latter put up a hand to acknowledge him but didn't say anything. "Rit-chan, is everything okay?" She ignored him. "What's wrong with her, Jen?" He asked her, handing her a small stack of letters. She shrugged.

"She looked through this catalog then when I told her I'll get her a charm bracelet. She just left."

"She's usually happy. A little _too _happy, don't you think?" He reflected. "A young girl like that should be in high school. Whenever I mention the word 'school' though, she quiets down. I think she had a bad high school experience."

"Yeah..." is all Jennifer said.

"_There's no way in hell you're going to work! You're going to finish high school and graduate like a normal teenage girl. After that, you're going to college then you can go to work. You're only fifteen! You have no experience in the business world!" Isamu Amano, Ritsuko's dad argued._

_For the first time in her life, Ritsuko glared at her father. "Dad, I'm not happy in school. I'm not dropping out because I'm lazy or I'm a troublemaker. I can still learn without being in school. School just isn't for me. Work is for me. I want to excel in the business world."_

"'_Excel in the business world'? You say it like it's so easy. Rit-chan, you're a teenage girl. Most girls your age go to high school. You should experience things high school has to offer like having your first crush like a normal teen."_

"_Ha! You keep bringing up the word 'normal'. A _normal_ teenage girl in Japan hikes up her uniform skirt, dye their hair a light color, put on make-up and press their hair. The _normal_ Japanese girl doesn't care about her schoolwork, she just cares about expensive brandname products, pop idols or about getting a boyfriend. The last thing they care about is schoolwork." _

"_Dad, Ritsuko, please stop arguing," Kyoko, Ritsuko's older sister said. She stood in-between them. They were both glaring at each other. "Dad, you should seriously consider this. Imouto-chan is miserable in school. I've seen her in class before. She's bored there. Her teachers say that she's advanced enough for college, even for Tokyo University. I trust that she'll succeed in the business world." _

"_Dear, you should calm down. Rit-chan's birthday is tomorrow. You two shouldn't be mad at each other; the family should be together celebrating tomorrow." Emi, Ritsuko and Kyoko's mom said. _

"_I just want you to be happy, Ritsuko," her dad said wearily. "You were always difficult to take care of. Always a handful ever since you were a little girl. I'm just so tired now."_

"_I'm sorry for being a handful, dad. I'm grateful that you and mom took care of me all these years. But right now, you're the one person I hate most." Ritsuko ran out of the living room, tears in her eyes._

"Is there anything you needed, Mr. Kaiba?" Ritsuko asked her boss, holding on the doorknob. She had just entered his office when he said 'come in.'

"Just organize those files I put on your desk. After you're finished, call my little brother and tell him I'm busy and won't be able to eat dinner with him tonight." He said, without looking up at her.

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba." She said, closing the door slowly. Before the door was fully closed, he looked up and caught a glimpse of her. Her blonde hair covered the side of her face. He thought she looked a little sad. Not that he cared whether or not any one of his employees were sad. He shrugged the image off his mind and continued to read a document. Ritsuko leaned on the polished wooden door. She was deep in thought. She thought about how his birthday was coming up tomorrow. A funny little memory floated up in her mind.

_She was just pouring more hot coffee in her mug when she heard two female employees gossiping near the cooler. _

"_Hey, Yuki. Remember last year on his birthday, when he received a mountain of gifts from his fangirls?"_

"_Oh, yeah. He was so annoyed. He ordered for them to be destroyed. Those poor girls, spending all their money on him and he was so ungrateful."_

"_Well, it's not like he asked for them."_

"_True but the least he could've done was give them to us. If he's not going to enjoy them, let us enjoy them." The latter giggled._

"_You know what I heard? There's a rumor going around that he's gay." Ritsuko choked on her coffee, trying to stifle a giggle. Thankfully, they didn't notice Ritsuko was eavesdropping on their conversation. Ritsuko was shaking with laughter while she wiped the coffee stain off her blouse. _

"_Personally I think it's true. Have you noticed how obsessed he is with that high school kid? The one that beat him in Duel Monsters."_

"_I don't know. I don't pay attention to that stuff."_

"_Sometimes I wonder how you work at this company." Ritsuko walked out of the employee's lounge, carrying her coffee mug. She tried to regain herself but was still shaking. Her coffee spilled little by little. The janitor that was mopping the floor looked annoyed at her. If he only knew what was going on in her mind...She was imagining Kaiba speaking like a stereotypical gay man. She imagined him wearing tight shirts and tight leather pants. How he would say 'Girl, those pants don't go with those shoes.' For weeks, she couldn't help giggling behind her hand whenever she looked at him. _

"Damn, I just had to remember that," she said, covering her mouth to keep herself from laughing. She took her place behind her desk and started to organize the files. The phone rang. She picked it up.

"Hello, Kaiba Corporation. How can I help you?" She said professionally.

"Hello, Rit! How is my adorable little sister?" Kyoko said loudly.

"Your adorable little sister is livid with you for disturbing her at work," Ritsuko said with mock sternness. "What do you want, onee-san?"

"Your onee-san wants you to join her for dinner. You get out in an hour, right? It's been a while since we've eaten out, just the two of us. I already told mom and dad." She said. Ritsuko groaned. She actually was pretty hungry. She wanted to have some delectable ramen noodles in a restaurant.

"I can't. My boss is going to be working late tonight. I probably have to work late, too. He didn't say anything about that yet though. Man, what I wouldn't give for a bowl of ramen noodles!" She stretched her arms, pressing the phone against her ear with her shoulder.

"Oh, I see. You have some overnight work, huh? Are you sure that's what it is?" Kyoko asked suggestively. "That's what he might say then when everybody else is gone. He'll get his opportunity to strike."

"You know the janitor stays overnight, too."

"Yeah but he'll tell the janitor to go home so he can have his way with you. That's usually what happens between a secretary and her boss. Most businessmen have affairs with their secretaries, you know."

"Most of those businessmen are in their mid-thirties or older and has a wife."

"You might be wearing a tight blouse. When it gets all dark, he'll be thinking that he wants to rip it off you and do you on your desk."

"DON'T BE SUCH A PERVERT!" Ritsuko shouted into the phone. Kaiba jumped when he heard her shout. "You've been reading way too much erotic novels. That's what happens when you're a horny working woman without a boyfriend." That struck a chord in Kyoko.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!" She yelled but Ritsuko already hung up on her. "I was just kidding but she went too far." Ritsuko scoffed at the disturbing thought. "Kaiba ripping off my clothes? Oh, please, what an absurd idea. Not that I want that to happen." Kaiba beeped her. She blinked and pressed the button.

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba?" She said.

"Miss Amano, this is a workplace. I'd like it if you talk to your boyfriend at home, not while you're in the office."

"But Mr. Kaiba, I don't have a boyfriend. I was talking to my sister."

"That's not the point here. I didn't hire you so you can have personal phone calls. And keep it down."

"Sorry, Mr. Kaiba."

"Now get back to work."

"Uh-Mr. Kaiba, I don't have to stay overnight tonight, right? I mean, my sister invited me to dinner..." _Not that he would care. _

"If you want to keep your job, you will stay." With that, he stopped the conversation. At that moment, her stomach growled. "Bastard," she whispered, frowning. She looked at the clock on the opposite wall. It was six thirty. She sighed and thought: _This was what I wanted. _Her hand grabbed another file.

Several hours passed, Ritsuko wasn't used to pulling an all-nighter. Unlike regular students, she never procrastinated in doing her schoolwork or in studying. She didn't have to. She was already smarter than most people in the schools she attended. She never participated in extracurricular activities nor had any friends. Schoolwork was the only thing she did to kill time. From time to time, she would spend time with her family though, just on the weekends. Her family was usually busy at work or with housework.

"I'm hungry." Ritsuko yawned and stretched her arms. She looked out the tall glass window. It was dark outside. If all the lights in the city were extinguished, it would be pitchblack outside. Earlier Mokuba had arrived at the company, trying to plead with his brother to take a break. The latter just declined and apologized. Ritsuko overheard their conversation. She felt sorry for the younger Kaiba. Also, jealous. Secretly, she wanted Mokuba to invite her to dinner. He left dispirited. Ritsuko, wanting to be friendly, said good-bye to him. He looked up at her like he didn't notice she was there before.

"_Amano-san, you're still here?" He sounded surprised. She nodded, not looking particularly happy. _

"_I'd be fired if I left early," she sighed. She jabbed her thumb towards Kaiba's office, sticking her tongue out. Mokuba chuckled. "I'm sorry, Mokuba. We're sort of in the same boat. I wanted to dine with my sister, too." _

"_It must be hard working for my brother," he said, starting a conversation. "You have homework and you have to stay late at night." _

"_Oh, didn't I tell you? I'm a high school dropout." She said casually. She took out her wallet and took out a bill. She walked out the door, down to the hallway where a vending machine stood. Mokuba followed her._

"_Why did my brother hire you then? You should have at least a high school education." _

"_That's simple. I'm qualified. Being a secretary isn't exactly rocket science, you know." She pressed the button for a chocolate bar after putting the money in. She smiled as she said this. _

"_Do you live alone?" Mokuba's question surprised her. She blinked in confusion. _

"_No, why?" _

"_Usually high school dropouts are disowned by their parents."_

"_If I'm not mistaken, your brother doesn't appear in high school often, does he? He's still the CEO of a successful company. He's not a graduate of high school. Why should his secretary have a high school diploma?" Ritsuko was getting a bit annoyed. He caught the hint._

"_I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way." Ritsuko waved away his apology. _

"_It's okay. People always look at me with disapproval when they learn I'm a dropout. My parents approve of my working. They know I'm capable." She said, almost to herself, taking a bite of the chocolate bar. Just her luck. It was stale._

She looked at the watch. It blinked exactly twelve. She pressed the intercom button. "Mr. Kaiba, I'm finished with my work. Do you need me to mail anything or do you have something for me to do?" There was no answer. "Er...Mr. Kaiba? Hello, is anybody there?" Complete silence. She decided to test something. "Mr. Kaiba, are you gay?" She braced herself for his angry response. Nothing. "Are you ignoring me on purpose, sir? Don't tell me you already left without telling me?" Again, no response. An angry thought hit her. What if she was right?

She stood up abruptly, knocking her chair over. She opened the door to his office, expecting to see him look at her with contempt. Instead, the sight in front of her shocked her. "He's sleeping?" Ritsuko said. That was what it looked like anyway. His head laid on top of the papers that he was supposed to be looking over, his right hand still holding a pen rested on the desk. His other arm was drooping. _This is the first time I've seen him napping. Well, of course. What kind of boss falls asleep on the job himself? If I took his picture right now, I'd probably make millions selling it to girly magazines. Hey, is he drooling? And on important papers, too. I should probably leave now but he'll be in a worse mood tomorrow if he found out those papers were ruined with his drool. Worse mood means I take all the abuse. _

She sighed, walking towards his desk. She stood behind him and gently took the pen out of his hand. His grip was strong even when he was resting. She finally wrested it from his grip and set it down. His hand shifted but he remained sleeping. She took his left drooping arm and rested it on the desk so he would be more comfortable. Here came the hard part: extracting the papers from underneath his head. "Okay," she whispered. "I can definitely do this. I memorized the periodical table, I can definitely do this." Slowly, she reached her hand out to him. Kaiba stirred, mumbling sleepily and turned the other way. Ritsuko hit the floor, thinking he was waking up. Nothing happened, she whispered. "Mr. Kaiba?"

He didn't answer. She was glad but she was in pain. She fell hard on her butt. Rubbing her aching behind, she stood up and made sure. He wasn't moving. She straightened herself out. "Now to get this over with." She stood beside him, tapping him. He didn't stir. She proceeded with her plan. She put her hand under his hand. She was facing the back of his head. Gently she lifted him up enough so that she could take the papers. This was proving to be hard. Her arm was shaking under his head. She put him down gently. "Oh, Kami-sama! That hurts!" She whined quietly, shaking her arm. _Maybe I can pull the papers out. _She put her second plan in action. She stood next to him again, pulling the corners of the papers with all her might. His head was sliding along with the papers. "Damn!" She cursed. _I should just wake him up. Then again, he'd probably say: Miss Amano, what are you doing in my office? GET OUT! _

The phone rang. Ritsuko grabbed it before it rang a second time. Kaiba was still in a deep sleep. "Hello? This is Kaiba Corporation. How can I help you?" She whispered.

"Hello? Imouto-chan," Kyoko yawned. "Why aren't you home yet? I just woke up and checked on you. Your room is still empty."

"Onee-san, I need help." She explained the whole thing to Kyoko. The latter exclaimed.

"Just come home! Who cares if he drools on his papers? He can't blame it on you. It's his fault for falling asleep. If dad finds out you're not home, he's going to force you to quit. Remember his conditions for working. One of them is no working overtime. I covered for you today but if he finds out you're not home..."

"He never wakes up at this hour. Besides, your boss might be understanding but my boss is different. He'll find some way to blame it on me. Plus, my behind is killing me. His head is heavy."

"Um...Okay." Kyoko said, afraid to ask how her sister knew that. _That was pretty random. _"Just ditch your boss and get your stuff. I'm coming to pick you up. If you finished your work like you said, your boss won't be able to say anything." She hung up. Ritsuko did the same.

"All right, Mr. Kaiba. I'm going to have to do this as quick as possible." Ritsuko said, rubbing her hands together. She lifted his head again with her hand and used her other hand to snatch the papers. She succeeded. She smiled and set his head down gently. She made a face, looking at the drool. She grabbed a tissue and wiped at the papers, making 'ugh' sounds. She set the papers on the corner of his desk neatly. "Finally, I'm done for the day." Ritsuko exited the office.

It didn't take long for Ritsuko to collect her stuff. She sat behind her desk, waiting for Kyoko. It usually took about half-an-hour to get to KaibaCorp from her house. _I hope nothing happened to onee-san. _Thirty minutes already passed. She yawned, covering her mouth. Her eyes were tearing from exhaustion. Her boss might've been content with sleeping in his office but she wanted to go home and have a warm meal. Thinking about her boss, she just remembered.

"I almost forgot!" She cried. She was supposed to mail some important documents for him. She searched her desk for them. They weren't there. She tiptoed into Kaiba's office. She probably left them when she was supposed to take them with her before her lunch break.

Nearing his desk, she noticed his sleeping position changed. This time he was resting his head on his arms. She ignored his light breathing and searched on his desk, the bright moonlight helped. It wouldn't be wise to turn on a light. Turning over papers, she couldn't find the envelopes. "Where are they? He put them right here," she whispered, frustrated. "Wait. Did I mail them?" Ritsuko tried to remember. Did she go to the post office and forgot all about it? Her hand knocked over Kaiba's pen on the floor. It fell underneath his desk. She bent down to pick it up.

Meanwhile, Kyoko got out of her car, closing the door. She ran to the entrance where the lights were still on. On the way to KaibaCorp, Kyoko's car ran out of gas. She had to call her mom's cellphone and discreetly told her not to wake her dad up. She explained that Ritsuko was still at work. Her mom understood. If her husband knew Ritsuko wasn't home, he'd have a tantrum. She asked her mom to drive and help her. That's why she was late. After her car was filled, her mom drove back home and Kyoko continued to her destination.

Kyoko pulled the handle. It was locked. She knocked on the glass doors. "Hello, is anybody in there?" A janitor that was mopping up the floor, looked out. He signaled for her to leave. Muffled by the glass doors, he said, "It's closed. Go home." She knocked again.

"Please open up. My sister's still in there. Her name is Ritsuko Amano, your boss' secretary."

"No, go home. Only KaibaCorp employees are allowed in the building after hours." He argued.

Jennifer, who had to stay late with her co-workers, was just coming out of the elevator. She blinked, seeing the janitor angrily brandishing his mop at someone.

"Uh...Arakawa, are you all right?" She said, avoiding the parts where he mopped. He pointed to the person outside. "She claims her sister is still in here. I just want to finish mopping, lock the doors and go home." He said.

She looked at where he was pointing at. "Is that-Kyoko?" Jennifer rushed forward and remembered. Again, she walked to the dried parts of the floor. "That's Ritsuko's sister. Let her in, Arakawa." He cursed loudly and dropped his mop. Jennifer sighed. No one ever did like him. He took out a large ring of keys and took out a particular one. Kyoko thanked him but he didn't respond. He just went back to mopping.

"Aheh Just ignore him, he's like that," Jennifer said, directing Kyoko closest to the elevator. Ritsuko's sister didn't like the janitor already. "Kaiba didn't let Ritsuko go home, huh?" Kyoko didn't have to nod. Jennifer already knew the answer.

"She's not supposed to work late hours. Dad would force her to quit if he knew," she said with irritation. _Somebody's cranky, _thought Jennifer. "She's just sixteen-years-old. Your boss should be smart enough to know that it's dangerous for girls her age to go home this late. Dad only let her take this job because it's the only thing that made her happy. What floor does imouto-chan work on?" Jennifer went with her up the elevator. On the way up, Kyoko was grumbling about Ritsuko's boss. The other woman can tell she really cares about her little sister.

"You know, Ritsuko is a strange girl." Jennifer finally got a word in edgewise. The statement surprised the older Amano daughter. Then she turned away. The brunette woman continued. "Everybody here except Kaiba says Ritsuko should be in high school. Although, whenever anyone mentions school, she gets sad. I don't want to be nosy but did something happened to her? Another thing; it's not just me. Everybody else notices it. She never talks about friends her age. It's not exactly normal. If my daughter acted that way, I would be worried."

"If you don't mind, I don't want to talk about it," Kyoko said quietly. She crossed her arms and waited until they reached their destination. An awkward silence hung in the atmosphere.

Ritsuko bent down to pick up the pen. Her fingers reached out for it. When Kaiba moved again, one of the wheels of his chair trapped the hem of her black skirt. She was unaware of this. Her fingers brushed against the pen. She pushed her body forward and she grasped the pen. When she backed out from under the desk, she found she couldn't move. She looked back and squinted in the moonlight. _Damn, my skirt's caught! No! _She turned and kneeled, trying to free her skirt from the chair. To no avail. Contrary to his thin frame, he was quite heavy. Trapped under her boss' desk and her skirt was underneath his chair, this day was beginning to be a bad day. Could it get any worse? Kaiba muttered sleepily about 'being busy' and pushed in his chair. She gulped. If he pushed in anymore, she would be trapped in between his legs. That was not a position she wanted to be seen in or be in. Not only would she be fired but her co-workers would not look at her the same way again.

She sighed, calling Jennifer. The said woman looked mortified as Ritsuko explained her strange situation. Kyoko noticed her face.

"What's wrong? Who was that?"

"Uh, that was your sister. She wants you to wait by the vending machine. She and Mr. Kaiba are just finishing up some work. She says she'll be right out," Jennifer said nervously. Kyoko looked at her.

"So he woke up, huh?" She asked plainly. The brunette nodded.

"So the vending machine's this way just down the hall." Jennifer showed her the way. Kyoko agreed then Jennifer was going to open the double doors.

"You're not coming with me?" Kyoko asked.

"I will but right now I want to talk to Mr. Kaiba. It's about an um... upcoming project. Yeah, that's it. It's a new game that we're coming up with. It's top secret so you can't listen to our conversation." Jennifer pushed Kyoko in the right direction.

"Fine. You just tell that jackass not to keep my sister this late anymore!" With that, Kyoko stormed down the hallway. Jennifer sighed out of relief. She opened the double doors. Shadows covered half of Ritsuko's desk and chair. There was another set of doors that actually led to Kaiba's office. She crossed the room to the doors. They were already open. Since they were already open...

She went in the office. As she neared the desk, she saw Kaiba's slumped figure.

"Jennifer, is that you?" Ritsuko's voice whispered. She had heard footsteps. Jennifer walked closer to the desk. "You were supposed to close the doors and knock on them!" Ritsuko groaned.

"If I wake him up, he'll find you under there. How are you going to explain that?" She asked. Ritsuko huffed. "Besides, I'll get you out of there."

In the end, Jennifer got Ritsuko out by lightly pushing Kaiba's chair a little to the left. Her black skirt was freed. She wiggled out from under the desk.

"Thanks. Now I can finally get home." Ritsuko sighed and stretched. When she looked back at her peaceful boss, she wondered how could he sleep through all this? She then noticed a pill bottle on the edge of his desk. Picking it up, she read the label. It was a bottle of prescribed sleeping pills. _He takes sleeping pills? _Then it dawned on her. "Oh, the stuff he wanted me to mail!" She rifled through his out-box and found them.

"Come on. Let's get out of here," Jennifer said, putting an arm around Ritsuko. The both of them left the office. The blonde slowly closed the double doors behind her. Suddenly, she found she pitied her irritating boss.

Finally, the three females left the KaibaCorp building. Jennifer drove a separate road to her house. While Ritsuko sat in the backseat while Kyoko drove home. She was lecturing her little sister. Kyoko's words went in one ear and out the other. Instead, she was thinking of her job interview with Kaiba. After he had heard her case, Kaiba had decided to give her a chance at his company. He wouldn't be able to begin to fathom how grateful Ritsuko was. She's still grateful. She was probably not one of the greatest secretaries he had but...

"Onee-san, is it okay if we make a stop?" Ritsuko asked when she spotted a brightly lit store. _Good. It's still open. _

At 1: 30 A.M., Ritsuko and Kyoko got home safely. The former got what she wanted from an all-night store. Unfortunately for her, when they returned home, they found their dad sitting on the sofa. He was furious. His arms were folded and he was staring right at the two, more at Ritsuko. Her older sister tried to cover for her but he wouldn't let her get a word in edgewise. So it was a showdown between Ritsuko Amano and Isamu Amano, two of the most stubborn and prideful people in the household. The short version was that Ritsuko didn't keep her part of the bargain so Isamu was forcing her to quit her job. It was a mess. His wife and Ritsuko's mom woke up from all the yelling. Kyoko and Emi were referees yet again. Finally, the blonde broke down, sitting with her face in her hands. She was sobbing. She felt miserable. She never thought her desire to be out of school would ruin her relationship with her dad.

"Dad, stop it! You're making her cry!" Kyoko yelled in midst of the confusion. She sat down beside her little sister and held her. Her sister has always been there for her, Ritsuko would always be grateful.

"Dear, stop this argument! I can't stand this anymore," Emi screamed. Ritsuko looked up and wiped her tears. She smiled at her supporting sister's concerned face.

"Imouto-chan..." Kyoko said, looking up at Ritsuko, who had just risen from the sofa.

"I'm sorry, mom. I'm going to end this argument right here and right now," she said. She had on a bittersweet smile. Her dad smiled, too. He saw that she was going to give in. That's what he thought anyway.

"Finally, you see it my way." He said in relief. "Do you want me to call your principal this afternoon and tell him you're going back to school?" She shook her head. A fresh tear rolled down her cheek but she still had on a sad smile.

"Dad, mom, Kyoko-onee-san," she said, bowing before them. "I'm sorry for all the grief I caused all of you. I see now that my eccentric needs are tearing this family apart. I want-" She stopped herself from emitting a sob. "I want to move out."

"What?" Kyoko and Isamu gasped in unison. Ritsuko's mom, however, silently dropped on the sofa. The teenager continued, her head still bowed. "And I don't want any of your money. I'll make it on my own. I know that I might not make it. I know it may be an imprudent decision but I can't stand you holding the reigns of my life anymore, dad!" She burst out. "I sincerely thank you for all your love and for taking care of me all these years."

"No, Rit-Rit...What? Why? You can't! Do you have any idea how dangerous it is out there?" Kyoko tried to dissuade her decision. "If you left, we would be so worried...Dad? Mom?"

Isamu stood up. "Fine, you want to be emancipated. You've got it. I'll let you go through with this. I expect you out of here by this evening." He didn't look at anyone as he said this. Ritsuko smiled.

"Don't worry. I'll be out by lunch." She walked out of the living room as if nothing happened. Kyoko faced her dad but his gaze was not on anyone. Emi seemed to be in her own reverie.

"You're fucking kidding, right? Dad? You're not going to really let her go?"

He looked up at her, tears in his brown eyes. Behind them, it hid a pain. "I don't know what to do anymore. If this is what she wants, I'll let her go...If letting her go means she'll be happier then I'll do it. Kyoko, I know you think I'm making a foolish decision. But you'll never know what it's like to be a parent and never succeeding in making your child happy. I got her dress-up dolls, coloring books, stuffed animals, the latest toys; she was never happy to get any of them. All this time I've been trying to make her normal, repressing her intelligence has made her unhappy. I know that she resents me for that. This is one old man that can't do any more for his child. It's time I let her go."

Kyoko almost cried. Her father's weakness was showing. All these years, he had thought his youngest child hated him. That wasn't true. She wanted to scream. _That's not true, dad! Ritsuko loves you so much. That's why she attended schools without complaints until now. She did it all for you. _

"Kyoko, just leave your father alone. If that is what he decides, we'll let Ritsuko go," Emi piped up. Her voice was shaky but it was the final decision. Kyoko remained silent.

_So I guess imouto-chan is really going to move out. _Kyoko thought sadly, sitting on the sofa.

A/N: Please review.


	2. Why So Cruel?

Title: The Mistake of Caring

Author: Phoenix Kaen

Disclaimer: Kazuki Takahashi owns the Yu-Gi-Oh series.

A/N: Thank you, Writer in Blossom for reviewing. I was about to dump this story but I found that I couldn't because it intrigues me. I've never written a girl character that hasn't much interest in romance. All she really cares about is building a life for herself without her parents' help despite her young age. She is emotionally detached to everybody around her even though they all adore her. I hope you don't find her too irritating since she's not like a typical teenage girl.

Chapter 2: Why So Cruel?

"You know that Amano girl?" A girl whispered to her friend. "She's so weird. She never smiles and she's always hiding her face behind a book."

"Of course I know her! She's so snobby because she thinks she's so smart. All the teachers love her. You know what I heard? She eats lunch with them everyday," her friend responded, whispering behind her hand. Ritsuko rolled her eyes behind her advanced calculus book. Are those girls completely devoid of brains? She can hear them despite their very loud 'whispering'. She was, after all, only sitting five desks behind them. She turned the page quietly.

_And you're wrong. I eat lunch by myself. _Ritsuko said in her mind. They kept on whispering about her but Ritsuko wasn't fazed. She was just annoyed by their constant chattering. Maybe if they actually took this time to study they'd actually get a good grade on their upcoming math test. The whisperings seemed to get louder so she slammed her book into her grey messenger bag. Her fingers brushed the light blonde strand of hair out of her face. She got up and exited the classroom. _I need to find a quiet place to read and to think things out. How am I supposed to tell them that school isn't for me? _

She had already found a spot under a tree behind the school. She smoothed out her skirt before sitting down on the grass. By 'them', she was referring to her parents. Her dad was the reason that she kept going to school. In truth, she was tired of the whole school atmosphere. Her teachers were constantly bothering her to transfer into a college even though she was just fifteen-years-old. Her ability to learn every subject was brilliant, according to them. She could be so much more, her parents were always told this. As much as they were delighted by this, they knew Ritsuko could never be forced into it.

"Tokyo University…" Ritsuko muttered. Her teachers had told her that she had a large percentage of getting into the prestigious college. So what if she could? She didn't want to be stuck in a concrete building surrounded by peers even if they were of her intelligence level. Why doesn't her parents understand? Why did they have to group her with the majority of the teenagers and make her go to school? She was different than the others. She knew it and they knew it. It wasn't like she wanted everybody to treat her like she was some kind of a gifted child; she just wanted somewhere where _she _could belong.

"How to explain it," she said aloud. _I guess I can't put this feeling in words. I just feel…lost. _The school bell rung. Lunch period was almost over. It was time for class once again but she didn't make a move to get up. Casting a tiresome look at the building, she stretched her arms over her head and yawned. She set up her messenger bag like a pillow and rested her head upon it. She was going to get in trouble for this, she knew it. Although, she was apathetic on the idea of getting caught and probably getting detention. How funny, she never used to get detention. Oh, well, there was a first time for everything. She smiled lightly at the ironic thought and drifted off to sleep. She rolled over to her side and shifted her head to a comfortable position. The sunrays peeked through the leaves and landed on her body, warming her.

"Wake up, Ritsuko, Ritsuko. Ritsuko…" Someone's soft words were tickling her ear as they whispered. Ritsuko shrugged the person's hand away from her shoulder and mumbled "just a few more minutes."

"RIT-CHAN, WAKE UP!" Jennifer had to resort screaming into her ear. The young girl's body bolted straight up on her chair.

"Huh? Wha-what?" She mumbled sleepily, rubbing her tired eyes.

"Ritsuko, you fell asleep! You're lucky Kaiba didn't catch you," Jennifer said urgently. "And wipe off that drool." She handed her a napkin.

"Huh? Oh, ugh," Ritsuko said, wiping the drool and threw the napkin into the trashbin. She looked down. "Damn! I got it on my calculator!" She took another napkin from her co-worker and wiped her saliva off the calculator. "Thanks for waking me up. What are you doing here anyway?" _I was having such a good dream. _She mentally pouted but shrugged it off.

"It's lunchtime. You were taking a while to come down so I wanted to see what's keeping you."

"It's lunchtime?" She repeated with shock. "I have to go somewhere! I forgot I had to tell Kaiba I wanted the rest of the day off!"

"Didn't you know? Kaiba isn't here yet. He's not coming in until after lunch. That's why I said you were lucky he didn't catch you."

"WHAT! But it's important! I have to go _now_!" Ritsuko moaned. She covered her face in her hands. There goes her organized plan.

"Why? Did something happen to your family?" Her friend asked with worry. Ritsuko shook her head without looking at her. "Then what is it? What's so important that you can't wait until later?"

_I have to go meet someone to look at an apartment. If I don't go _now, _the landlord will rent it to someone else. But if I leave now without permission, I'll get fired. I need the money to support myself but I also need a place to live. _She peeked through her fingers at Jennifer. There's no way in hell she's going to ask _anybody _to put her up. She was supposed to be independent. That meant not having to ask anybody for help. "Maybe a motel room then? Just for one night," she mumbled to herself.

"Motel?" The brunette woman was confused. Ritsuko looked up and smiled.

"It's nothing! Come on, let's go eat. I was thinking we should get Chinese food this time, not the fast food kind," she said to avoid any questions. Her mind went back on her situation though. Tomorrow, she'll definitely go apartment hunting tomorrow. So the unlikely pair went off and enjoyed a lunch at a Chinese restaurant yet the food wasn't enough to keep Ritsuko's pain from coming back.

"_It's not too late, imouto-chan. Just go apologize to dad and explain to him calmly that working at KaibaCorp makes you happy." Kyoko said to her little sister. The latter was packing up a suitcase. She was in the process of folding her shirts._

"_I'm through explaining things to him. As much as I value him, I also value my independence. If I have to live here anymore, I have like I will go insane," she said avoiding her gaze._

"_Is it that bad living here? 'I will go insane'? What are you saying that we drive you crazy?" Kyoko had a note of resentment in her tone. She just shook her head._

"_You don't understand. You never do, nobody does. I can't be happy doing things that you or other people are supposed to do. I'm sixteen-years-old and I'm _supposed _to go to school but I have no desire. I don't think that's right of dad to force me to." _

"_Is it just the school you're in now? If it is, you can just transfer. Why not just go to college? It'll be expensive but if it's going to make you happy, I'll even put in some money to pay for it." Ritsuko slammed the cover down on the suitcase._

"_No, no, no! It's not my high school! It's not about going to a higher level school! It's not about me hating school because I hate the work or I have social problems! It's not any of those! Can't you see? I'm not like everybody else! I can't be happy doing what other people my age do! I can't try, I can't pretend and I certainly am not going to pretend just for dad ANYMORE! Why can't you, mom or dad understand that?" She burst out, tears unwillingly flowing down her face. _

_Kyoko fired back. "I know that you're not like everybody else! Everybody can see that. You-you've always been so weird." It was hurting her to say that word. The last thing she wanted to tell her precious little sister that she was abnormal, strange, a freak. She wasn't, Kyoko never wanted to say anything hurtful like that though she couldn't take it anymore. Her family was falling apart right before her very eyes. All for what? It was just because her little sister was never happy. Ritsuko always did things just to make everybody happy and in the process made herself miserable. Her only friends were the books that she attained vast amounts of knowledge from. Her unwillingness to socialize kept people away from her. Kyoko sometimes had a vague impression that's what Ritsuko truly wanted. Now she's finally standing up for _her _happiness and all Kyoko wanted to do was knock down the happiness. She was selfish. She just wanted her family to stay together forever. "You know how much dad's always worrying about you. All he wants is for you to be happy. It's always been just you. 'Oh, Ritsuko's sad. Let's buy her a dollhouse.' You don't want it so it's given to _me. _I've always wanted one but I didn't want to be a burden. You didn't want one but you got one and you didn't even want it. 'Oh, Ritsuko's won the spelling bee or she was ranked first place again. Let's go celebrate in a high profile restaurant.' What do you want to do? Stay in your room and study the theories of Quantum Physics. You, my dear sister, is a freak! I hate you! Why do you get everything and yet you're still unhappy! What's wrong with you!" _

_No, I don't mean all these things that I'm saying. Please forgive me, imouto-chan. You know I really care for you. Kyoko thought as she saw the hurt in Ritsuko's face. It disappeared in an instant. She just had to laugh; her little sister was always like that. She always tries to hide her emotions. She remembered how she used to think it was so cute when Ritsuko, a toddler, had tried to hide her pouts. She had never succeeded then over the years, she learned how to put on an emotionless mask on._

"_Could you please say 'good-bye' to dad for me? I don't think I can do it myself. Thank you," she said placidly, pretending that nothing happened. She picked up the suitcase and walked out of her former bedroom. She didn't bother to cast a look back at her beloved older sister, the one who was always there for her._

_Kyoko stood there with guilt settling in. She didn't see the tears that stained Ritsuko's face as she left._

"Hey mom!" A familiar voice called. Jennifer and Ritsuko turned around to find a teenage girl about the latter's age. She had highlighted brown streaks through her straight black hair. She wore the school uniform for the Tsukiyama High School. Ritsuko noticed that the blue plaid skirt was a little too high for a student. She was carrying a black messenger bag and wore white loose socks. Such a typical high school girl, Ritsuko thought. The teenage girl ran up to the pair. Now that she could see her up close Ritsuko could see a certain resemblance. She looked back and forth at her companion then at the smiling girl.

"Are you Jenny-chan's daughter?" She asked.

"Yup, I sure am! Hey how are you doing? You must be Ritsuko-san, right? Mom's told me so much about you. It's nice to finally meet you," she said happily, shaking Ritsuko's hand. The latter looked at her hand.

_She's so forward. 'Ritsuko-san'? I just knew her for a second and already she's calling me by my first name? Well, at least she didn't drop the honorifics completely._

"It's nice to meet you, too, Ohyama-san," Ritsuko said, smiling back.

"It's okay, you can call me Ayu-chan. This is so cool. This is the first time I met one of my friends that's around _my _age."

"Yeah, I can imagine that your mom's too much of an old fart to meet much young people, huh?" Ritsuko joked. Jennifer and Ayu sweat dropped.

"You really weren't kidding about the whole her being blunt thing," Ayu whispered to her mom.

"Ritsuko, do you really have to crack jokes like those?" Jennifer was annoyed at being called an old fart.

"No, I don't _have _to. I just want to," she said slyly. The other just sighed and turned to Ayu.

"Anyway, what are you doing here, Ayu-chan?" She asked her daughter.

"Dad told me to tell you to remember about the dinner reservations."

"He couldn't have just called my cellphone?"

Ayu giggled. "His cellphone fell down the toilet again."

"Again?" Jennifer asked exasperated. "Give me a break. That's the fifth one this month. I told him so many times already not to bring it to the bathroom."

"Are you celebrating a special occasion tonight?" Ritsuko interrupted. Ayu answered for her mom.

"Yeah, it's the anniversary of when they first met. It's such a romantic story. Did you ever tell her, mom?"

"No, she's not interested in that kind of thing, Ayu," Jennifer said sadly.

The blonde ignored her friend's sympathetic tone. "Ah, if it's your anniversary then I should give you something." She reached into her pocket of her tan blazer and took out a small jewelry box with a silver bow on top.

"What? No, it's all right, Ritsuko, really. You don't have to give us anything," she protested but Ritsuko pushed the gift into her hands.

"No, I want your husband to have it. I got that for Kaiba but what's the use? It'll just end up in the dumpster. This way at least I won't feel like I wasted my money," Ritsuko said casually. "Why are you shaking your head like that?" The woman stopped the action and directed her chin towards the girl in front of Ritsuko. Ayu's body was shaking. Her bangs covered her eyes. "Ohyama-san, what's wro-" Then she realized that Ayu must be one of the thousands of girls that send him gifts. Ritsuko sighed heavily. This time she should've really shut her big mouth.

"Ayu-chan." Jennifer moved to comfort the trembling teen but she ran off. Ritsuko thought she saw a tear. She didn't chase after her though. Her policy was to never meddle in other's affairs. Her motto was as long as it didn't affect her, she left things alone. "Ayu-chan! Wait!" Jennifer chased after her daughter. All Ritsuko did was just stand there and watch the two run.

_I don't understand why she's so upset about this. His fans should've known he doesn't appreciate their gifts. He is, after all, rich enough to buy his own gifts. _Ritsuko slowly headed back for work. _She's a fool. Just like I was a fool to waste money on him. _She thought sadly. Yesterday she had been so excited to buy him a birthday present to show thanks for hiring her but she knew…It would've ended up somewhere his other gifts always ended up. What happened now was just a rude awakening.

"_Why so cruel?" _Someone had asked her that once. Why was Ritsuko who had so much ahead of her so cruel? Why was she so negative?

"This is why," she whispered to herself.

Damn it! Where was that incompetent secretary of his? Kaiba raged mentally as he paced back and forth in his office. He had just come in straight from his mansion. He had just woken up but not refreshed. A migraine was threatening to come back. _Why won't this headache go away? Where's that bitch, Amano? She's supposed to be here when I'm here! _He forgot that there was still fifteen minutes of lunch left. His head was pounding with every step he took.

He looked back at his desk. Where's the aspirin? His blue eyes scanned the contents on his desk until he saw a pill bottle. He didn't bother to read the label. He was desperate to get rid of this headache and get back to work. Kaiba would have to settle for getting rid of his headache for the time being. He twisted the cap and shook out the pills. The whole thing spilled in his hand. He dropped some on the floor and took the remainder. He downed the water bottle that Mokuba forced him to take with him (since he had skipped breakfast).

Ritsuko stepped off the elevator and greeted some co-workers that passed her by. They waved back to her. She went inside the outer office where her desk was. She sat behind the desk and sighed. _I have nothing to do now except wait for Kaiba to come in. In the mean time, I'll look for vacant apartments. _She moved the mouse and clicked on the internet icon…

An hour passed, Ritsuko looked at her watch. _That's weird. I thought he was supposed to come in by now. Jenny-chan did say after lunchtime. He's usually so early, too. I wonder if something happened? Maybe he's already in? If he is, then why didn't he call me for anything? Maybe I should check?_

She got up from the chair then hesitated. What if he was busy and she bothered him? She'd probably get yelled at. This is getting weird though. Surely, he would've at least called with some kind of instructions? Her curiosity was killing her. She just had to find out if he was in there or not. She'd just have to take the risk of being the target of his anger.

Ritsuko knocked softly on the set of doors. "Mr. Kaiba? This is Amano. I have a question to ask you." A long silence was the only response. "Please, sir, this is really important. I just wanted to-" She opened the door anyway and winced. The yelling didn't come. Instead she opened her eyes and saw…

"KAMI-SAMA! Mr. Kaiba, are you okay?!" She yelled, stumbling to his unconscious body. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and tried lifting him up. "Mr. Kaiba?" She tried shaking him but he wouldn't wake up. "Please don't be mad at me," She whispered to him. She brought her hand back and slapped him several times across the face. Again, there was no response. She didn't want to though she had to make sure. She checked his pulse; there was a faint beating. "Oh, my gosh, are you kidding me? Mokuba's going to be horrified!" She pulled down the phone and frantically dialed the police. While she was busy with the phone, Kaiba weakly opened one of his eyes and saw her screaming frantically for something. An overwhelming sleep overcame him and he went out like a light again.

A/N: Boring? There was no romance here because I do not rush these things. Just review and tell me if you did or didn't like it please. If you have time, write more than just 'please write more'. Please.


	3. So Close Yet So Cold

Title: The Mistake of Caring

Author: Shoujo's Revenge

Disclaimer: Kazuki Takahashi owns the Yu-Gi-Oh series.

A/N: It's so hard to write a love story with an indifferent girl as the main character. I cannot see Ritsuko fall for anybody…at all!

Chapter 3: So Close Yet So Cold

Seto Kaiba slowly opened his eyes to the dimly lit hospital room. His head was throbbing painfully. With one hand, he clutched the side of his head to jerk back in surprise. Ritsuko was standing beside his bed with an affectionate smile plastered on her face. It was a bit eerie and unsettling to see her like that. Kaiba never saw her like this. Then he realized something else; she was wearing a nurse's uniform, her blonde hair tied back with a white ribbon.

"Ah ah ah, Mr. Kaiba, no looking down there," she said cheerfully when Kaiba's eyes wandered to her bare legs. He had never really noticed that her legs looked so perfect; not too skinny nor too plumb. He blushed at the fact that he was caught. What's more, her skirt was pretty high so that her thighs were exposed.

"What's going on here? Where am I?" He suddenly demanded. He couldn't stand that she had just scolded him when _he _was _her _boss.

"Well, you had just swallowed a whole bottle of sleeping pills about two hours ago. Do you know how worried Mokuba and I was?" She asked with hands on her hips.

This was absurd. She was acting like she was his mother now.

"Mokuba? Where's Mokuba?" Kaiba started to get up from the bed but Ritsuko pushed him back on the sheets.

"No! You are to stay in bed until you feel better!" She argued, taking out a syringe out of a side pocket. "Don't make me use this."

"How dare you? Are you aware that I can fire you for this?" Kaiba threatened but couldn't help shrinking behind his covers.

"I only care for your health, Seto," Ritsuko said sadly. "I don't care at all if I lose my job. Don't you get it, you idiot?" The young man was flabbergasted. Seto? Idiot? Since when did she address him by his first name or dared to insult him?

"I am so desperately in love with you. It is not even funny. You never did notice me, did you?" She said quietly. "All I was your secretary, nothing more. You're the same to other girls. Do you ever plan to kiss someone, to hold someone in your arms and tell that someone you love her?" She hid her hands behind her back, smiling sadly.

He didn't say anything; wasn't sure how he was supposed to respond. Ritsuko never seemed to be the type to be interested in anyone at all. In truth, she was right; she was just a secretary to him. Kaiba jumped back in surprise again when he realized she was just a few inches from him. She placed a soft hand on his cheek.

"Sleep tight," she said, kissing the top of his forehead. Now that they were so close; Kaiba could smell the scent of her ….cheap cologne?

"He's waking up!" A male voice said with relief. The doctor was so close to him that his cologne smell wafted near his nose. Kaiba pushed him away abruptly. He looked around the bright room. There were two nurses standing nearby but neither of them was Ritsuko. He rubbed his forehead; the kiss felt so real. It was obviously just a dream though he didn't sigh in relief.

* * *

"Ritsuko, you better go out with me this Sunday or else," A tall boy whispered to her as she looked away with a bored expression. His arms were on the either side of the wall preventing her from escape. Despite the fact that he had slammed her on the wall, she wasn't fazed by his roughness.

"Don't you think you're being terribly rude? We're not friends or anything but you insist on calling me by my first name. And another thing, if you want to go out on a date with me, don't you think you should ask me nicely? Unlike the other girls in this school, I am not aroused by a boy's violent behavior. Haven't your parents taught you manners?" She pushed him off, surprising the boy with her strength.

He made her face him, his finger lifting her chin up but her eyes were gazing far away.

"I am desperately in love with you, Amano," he whispered again. Ritsuko slowly faced him, shocking him with her dead-looking eyes and touched his hand with hers. She moved his hand away from her face.

"You've just wasted your time. As you stand here trying to be tough one second then gentle the next, I don't feel a thing for you. Do you expect my heart to flutter with excitement and agree to be your girlfriend? All I feel is slight annoyance for your wasting both our time. I apologize for my rejecting you. Good-bye." Ritsuko turned away to walk away. The boy just stood there and watched her with a gaping expression. He couldn't believe how empty her eyes were.

Ritsuko gasped as she had almost fallen out of her chair. She looked blearily around the waiting room. A dream, it was just a dream. Now she remembered, that was the first time a boy had confessed his love to her. Why of all times did she have to have that dream? Back then, she had shorter hair, the length stopped just below her ears. Her eyes, she had been told, always portrayed nothingness. However, whenever she looked in the mirror now, the emptiness in her eyes were replaced with something else; a determination to be happy.

Ritsuko felt a weight settle on her shoulder and looked down. Mokuba just fell asleep on her. Anybody else would've thought it was cute but Ritsuko was cursing her luck. She could've taken this opportunity to look for an adequate motel to rent a room instead she had to baby-sit Mokuba. It wasn't part of her job but when he came in with tears streaming down his face, she felt sorry for him. Was it mentioned that he also begged her to stay with him?

"Ah, since when did I become someone's babysitter?" She asked herself loudly.

"Wha-what?" Mokuba stirred while rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"Nothing," she said more gently. A nurse passed by them holding a clipboard. The impatient sixteen-year-old reached out to grasp the hem of the nurse's skirt. Mokuba had a mixture of confusion and shock on his face. "Hey, obaa-san, how much more do we have to wait? Did the doctor save my boss' life or what? It shouldn't take this long."

The harassed looking nurse just snatched her skirt back.

"Young lady! Who do you think you are? Our doctors are doing all they can for Mr. Kaiba! I should think that it wouldn't matter how long you have to wait; just if Mr. Kaiba is okay." The nurse said irritably.

"Some people have better things to do, you know!" Ritsuko snapped back. The nurse stalked away angrily. She settled back into her seat. "Err…Sorry." She added sheepishly when she caught Mokuba looking at her.

"I wonder if nii-sama is going to be okay?" She heard the desperation in his voice. For the first time in her life she genuinely felt sorry for someone else.

She stood up easily towering over the young boy. "Mokuba-kun, any idiot can tell you that Mr. Kaiba is going to be all right. That guy is just the kind of guy who's too stubborn to die. Even if the Grim Reaper himself were to come for his soul, Mr. Kaiba would probably punch him out and walk back to his body. You should know this, you've lived with him for what thirteen years?" Ritsuko was angry in her words but the black-haired boy smiled at her.

"You're right, Amano-san." He wiped his tears away.

"Ritsuko Amano is never wrong," she said confidently. She was putting on this stupid act just for his sake. Although, she wondered deep down, 'what if I'm wrong?' "I'll be right back, Mokuba-kun."

"But Amano-san-" Mokuba said hesitantly. Ritsuko just waved her hand casually.

"It'll be okay. Your bodyguard will watch you until I come back." She turned to walk away then stopped and turned around. "Ah, I almost forgot. Do you want something to eat or drink? It'll be my treat."

"You don't have to-" She had to interrupt him.

"Ah, ah, ah. Yes, I do. If my boss finds out I haven't at least fed you, I'd have to suffer the consequences." As if on cue, Mokuba's stomach growled loudly. "Do you want some Indian food, Chinese food, Thai food or just regular Japanese food?"

"Just a burger, some fries and a small soda." He said. Ritsuko cringed at the mention of fast food. She never approved of that kind of food. The kinds of food she liked didn't include dropping it into a deep fryer and having it ready in just five minutes.

"Why would you want to feed yourself that garbage? I'll order something that tastes good _and _is healthy. Don't worry, I won't bring back a salad. I'll be right back." With that, she went to the elevator.

The black-haired boy watched her run to catch the elevator. He started to contemplate everything about her; how she acts, how she talks, how she thinks, just everything about her. In his opinion, she seemed like a good person. He could tell that she was competent in everything that she does. Once in a while his older brother did complain of her. Although, he didn't complain about her that often like he did with his former secretaries.

In truth, Mokuba liked Ritsuko more than his older brother's past secretaries. For one thing, she didn't fawn over Kaiba (or in older women's cases, tried to fix their daughters with the rich young man). Ritsuko didn't mix her personal life with work which was another good thing. Other secretaries had always spent their free time by chatting away on the phone with their friends. Her competence was proven in how she worked. She had her own little system of organizing everything. This system was easily understood by others. Best of all, she was easy to talk to whenever they got a chance to.

But he did notice that she always looked so lonely. Sometimes he heard the employees whisper rumors of Ritsuko and Kaiba being a couple.

"_They're almost the same age. Their personalities are basically the same." One man had whispered to his female co-worker._

"_When you think about it, you have to admit that they make a cute couple." The female worker said. Then they spotted Mokuba who was just passing by. _

"_Mokuba-sama! Please don't tell Mr. Kaiba that we're talking about him!" The now pale man who had pleaded. _

Mokuba disagreed immensely. His brother's personality and Ritsuko's mysterious personality were different. Some aspects of their personalities were pretty much the same but there were still noticeable differences. He knew his brother so well that he can almost predict his every move but Ritsuko, that girl was unpredictable. It was evident from when she just grabbed the nurse's skirt. Mokuba had always thought that she was a self-controlling person. Sometimes she acted as old as her co-workers though there were times, she acted like a rebellious teen. If his brother were impatient, he'd just stare down the nurse and demanded to see the person in charge.

"Are you Mr. Kaiba's brother?" A doctor came up to Mokuba who looked up in surprise. He straightened up with a quick "Yes!"

Ritsuko looked at her watch and saw that twenty minutes had passed. She was carrying a plastic bag with take out food. She knew that she promised Mokuba to come back as soon as possible but she needed some air. The hospital air was so stuffy. The bacteria and viruses crawling on every inch of the hospital doesn't help either.

She was walking by the riverside when she spotted someone familiar sitting on top of the railing. It was Ayu who swung her legs carelessly while gazing out into the horizon. Jennifer was probably still looking for her. Ritsuko casually leaned next to her on the railing.

"So what's so interesting to look at?" She surprised Ayu who jumped up and almost fell into the deep river. Ritsuko grabbed hold of her arms before she plummeted into the dark waters.

"You!" Ayu said rudely instead of thanking her. She had tears sliding down her face. Ritsuko was indifferent to the angry tone of voice.

"By the tone of your voice, I suppose you're going to blame _me _for your sadness?" Ayu didn't answer. She just resumed her position on the railing. "By the way, you know your mother is looking for you? I really don't care about you. You remind me of so many selfish teenage girls but I do care for Jenny-chan. I know that she's probably worried about you right now though I wouldn't know why. You seem to be a real brat to me."

Ayu swung around, jumping down from the railing. "_I'm _the brat? You're the same age as me and you're calling my mom 'an old fart'! How am I selfish? How am I like other typical teenage girls? You don't even know me!" She shrieked.

"Oh, no? What you said just now is just what a typical teenage girl would say, 'You don't even know me!' Do you know how many teenagers across the globe say that? For one, you just ran off with complete disregard to your mother's feelings. You were upset when you found out that Kaiba don't care about his fan girls, correct? Well, you don't even know the guy. You just liked him because you think he's attractive."

"You-" Ayu began but her mother had come up behind her.

"There you are! Ayu, I was so worried about you! Ritsuko, what are you-?" Ritsuko didn't answer her but waved slightly to signify that she was going.

Both mother and daughter watched Ritsuko run the opposite way with the swinging plastic bag in hand.

"Mom, why are you friends with such a bitch?" Ayu glared after the blonde girl. Jennifer frowned at her daughter's comment. No matter what Ritsuko said or did; Jennifer couldn't help but love the fragile girl as if she was her own daughter.

"Ayu…" She squeezed Ayu's shoulder and pulled her closer. She wondered how Ritsuko's own mother felt about her distant daughter. What if Ayu acted exactly like Ritsuko? How would she handle it? Ayu was confused at her mom's behavior. She was holding her like she never wanted to let to. She returned the hug while Jennifer wondered if Ritsuko's mom held her, did she return the hug, too?

* * *

"Nii-sama!" Mokuba cried, launching himself into his brother's arms. The latter smiled, patting the younger boy on the head. "I was so worried. Ritsuko and me waited for-"

"'Ritsuko'? Amano sat with you in the waiting room?" Kaiba interrupted. Mokuba nodded.

"Yeah. She was really nice. Amano-san is out buying me lunch right now."

"Mokuba, you could've had Isono do that."

"She insisted," Mokuba said, shrugging his shoulders. He was quiet for a few seconds as Kaiba took a sip of water. "I'm really starting to like her." He choked.

"Nii-sama, are you okay? Your face is turning red. Are you getting a fever?" Mokuba asked.

"No, I'm perfectly fine," Seto responded all too quickly. So she stayed with Mokuba _and _offered to buy him lunch. Something was definitely fishy here, Seto thought. The door was slammed open by a panting Ritsuko. Blotches of red formed on her cheeks.

"Sorry, I'm a little late. I took a little walk. Here's your lunch, Mokuba-kun. And Mr. Kaiba, I see that you seem to be all right." She walked into the room and handed Mokuba the bag. He accepted with a 'thanks'.

_Mr. Kaiba, I see that you seem to be all right? _Seto thought. This definitely wasn't the same Ritsuko in his dream.

Her fingers brushed against the gift that she had gotten for Kaiba. She tightened her fist in her pocket. Should she even bother to give him the gift? Her face didn't portray any emotion but she was so nervous. It was like the job interview all over again. That day…That day was the day that would make or break her future. All she had to do was give him a simple gift…

"Mr. Kaiba, I was wondering if I could speak to you…alone?" She added after a glance at Mokuba. The younger boy took the hint and left the two alone before Kaiba even assented.

"What did you want to speak about, Amano?" He felt naked in front of her in this position, him in the hospital bed wearing a hospital gown instead of his usual businesslike attire. Nevertheless, he spoke to her as if they were back at the office.

She cleared her throat nervously, her hands behind her back.


End file.
